About

Accounts

You are at the newest post.Click here
to check if anything new just came in.

Vicarious Liability From Adult Parent?

Vicarious Liability from Adult Parent?
Started by oasis1313 , Feb 22 2014 03:22 PM
Please log in to reply
1 reply to this topic
1 posts
Posted 22 February 2014 - 03:22 PM
My retired father, who is a widower, lives with us. He has his own car which he drives himself and pays for his own insurance. He wanted to be nice and put his car in my name as well as his own when he purchased it so that it would be easier to probate in the event of his passing. If he were to be involved in an accidental auto accident, would my wife and I also be liable for any injuries that might arise?
2,827 posts
Posted 22 February 2014 - 08:07 PM
My retired father, who is a widower, lives with us. He has his own car which he drives himself and pays for his own insurance. He wanted to be nice and put his car in my name as well as his own when he purchased it so that it would be easier to probate in the event of his passing. If he were to be involved in an accidental auto accident, would my wife and I also be liable for any injuries that might arise?
Yes, it's possible. It's remote, but possible.
Being on the title means that you own the car just as much as your Dad owns the car.
If you allow somebody to drive a car that you own and you knew, or should have known, that the driver was incompetent to drive, you could be held liable.
Worse, even if vicarious liability was not involved, you would be almost guaranteed to be named in any lawsuit brought against him for injuries to others.
Defending against that lawsuit (even successfully) would be so costly as to drive you into bankruptcy and ruin your financial future. Your own policy isn't likely to cover you because it's a car that you own but is not listed on your policy.
So, if you Hemet Dog Bite Attorney want to go along with this idea, I urge you to insist that your Dad list you and your wife as Named Insureds with him on his policy and insist on a copy of the policy and copies of his insurance cards showing your names on them. That's not a trust issue, it's a survival issue. I'm sure he'll understand if you explain it the way I just did.
Warning: Legal issues are complicated. Explanations and comments here are simplified and might not fully explain the ramifications of your particular issue. I am not a lawyer. I do not give legal advice. I make comments based on my knowledge and experience. I guarantee nothing. If you act on my comments without the advice of an attorney, you do so at your own risk.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://boards.answers.findlaw.com/index.php/topic/229475-vicarious-liability-from-adult-parent/